Debut or Die-Chapter 433
"......"
I halted my hand.
It wasn’t the first time an unexpected face showed up in a collapsed building, but it had never felt this unreal.
Cheongryeo.
I would have thought he’d already be outside giving an interview.
I thought he’d escaped without a hitch.
He had experience, after all.
But even with the audience seats dark, Cheongryeo under the emergency lights wasn’t a hallucination.
And even if he had been left behind, how could he have come through a half-blocked emergency exit?
There was no time or space to ponder.
In the stunned silence, as if someone had seen a ghost, he started walking. The thud of his shoes echoed and his voice followed.
"Junior?"
In that moment, I knew what to do.
"What’s in your hand?"
I swallowed hard.
"A CCTV unit?"
"......."
He stopped before the stage and lifted his head.
"So you were looking for something after all."
"A person."
I lifted the rope again.
"There’s someone collapsed in these seats."
"......."
Cheongryeo paused, then shifted his gaze into the stands.
I barely noticed the rope slip from my hand to Seon Ah hyun’s as I gripped it with cold sweat and stared at him.
Then he spoke.
"Well, I think you’ve already found them."
"...!"
He held up the CCTV device.
The infrared cameras near the main exit were still running.
"There!"
I swung the flashlight. Under a seat at the left outer edge, I saw legs sprawled.
Keun Sejin dashed forward and shone her light on the upper body.
"Wait."
As she rolled the body from beneath the chair, a familiar face emerged.
Ryu Geon woo’s face, his hat knocked off.
It was Geon woo.
I exhaled.
On Cheongryeo’s CCTV feed—where he’d “coincidentally” been pointing at the audience—you could even rewind to see Geon woo suddenly collapsing during evacuation.
I have a lot to say about that, but not now.
"I’ll get him up."
"Wait."
This was urgent.
I checked the status window while holding Geon woo.
[00:15:53]
...No change.
“A glance won’t do it.”
We’d need to speak to him directly to piece together what happened.
"Geon woo, Park Mundae, Ryu Geon woo!"
I used every name he’d called him, patted his shoulder, shook him.
But Geon woo didn’t flinch—he simply swayed where I held him.
“...No way.”
I moved my hand under his nose. He was breathing. Even looked peacefully asleep.
That meant... he still wasn’t waking.
“Something might still be happening inside the status window.”
There’s no sense wasting time. The clock was ticking.
“But carrying him out is fine.”
I was about to hoist him up...
"Are you crazy?"
“You... you can’t...”
"......."
...But in the end, we moved together, supporting him alongside the others.
“We need to line up single file.”
"...Right."
The path down to the basement wouldn’t be wide enough for a group.
Still, it was lucky the passage from Cheongryeo’s emergency stairs had been cleared so we could circle back.
I, Seon Ah hyun, and Keun Sejin lifted Geon woo. As long as we kept our balance, one person’s weight wasn’t an issue.
"Shall I lift him?"
"Don’t bother."
I didn’t need anyone else handling him—but unexpectedly, Cheongryeo took the lead at Geon woo’s neck.
“...!”
What was this bastard up to?
I’d think about that bizarre cooperation later.
“Let’s move.”
First priority: escape.
We hurried toward the emergency stairwell. The dark seats blurred behind us.
Up front, I heard Keun Sejin’s silhouette speak.
"Senior, I never expected to see you here. How did you end up staying behind?"
"I don’t know."
Keun Sejin clenched her teeth, but managed to mask it, the beam of her flashlight revealing her effort. Not exactly reassuring.
I needed to avoid questions.
[00:13:06]
Thirteen minutes left.
Ahead of us, the stairwell’s entrance was littered with debris, but if you watched your step, you could pass.
Someone must have cleared it—
“Careful now!”
“Okay.”
We eased Geon woo inside, making sure nothing twisted.
Then suddenly, a voice whispered right by my ear.
“You’ve arrived.”
“...??”
I nearly struck him.
When I turned, it was the same guy from the drone feed. Seon Ah hyun’s startled voice cut through.
“Se... senior?”
“Pleasure to see TeSTAR members. I knew you’d rescue at least one person.”
It was VTIC’s Joo Dan.
Why was he here, after scouting the basement exit? Could it be...
I looked him over.
Unlike the suited Cheongryeo who’d been MCing, Joo Dan wore street clothes—just what you’d want for heavy lifting.
So he’d been helping clear the way.
“Let’s go.”
It made sense—Cheongryeo alone couldn’t have cleared so much. There was extra manpower.
Joo Dan shrugged off dusty gloves.
“I’ve been cooperating to ensure perfect timing.”
I didn’t know what nonsense that was.
“And it looks like a textbook happy ending.”
Think whatever you want.
“Anyway, thank you.”
Meanwhile, my eyes, now adjusted to the dark, spotted fans moving behind him, their heads covered by shadows.
They must’ve finished clearing and started evacuating.
“Joo Dan??”
Some whispered his name automatically, but everyone kept their mouths shut and moved frantically.
If someone fainted in the crowd, they’d get trampled.
“We need to let people go first.”
“Right.”
We paused to catch our breath, Geon woo leaning heavy on us.
I watched people descend in single file, spacing themselves.
Then I spoke.
“I got you all on the phone, right?”
He glanced at his suit pocket. He hadn’t called anyone.
Better to keep moving than stop to report.
“Huh. Strange.”
“What is?”
“Nothing.”
“.......”
Don’t argue. Escape first.
He continued, changing topics.
“You seem stable.”
“What?”
“Your condition.”
He meant: despite failing the status condition, he didn’t look in immediate danger and his mind seemed okay.
“What do you know?”
I could stay silent, but Seon Ah hyun and Keun Sejin were watching. Damn.
Better to explain, even roughly.
“I can see the next collapse time.”
“Yes?”
“...The next one is the final. It said last.”
A hush fell.
They realized too.
“Final?”
“Yeah. Seems like the end.”
“Ah...!”
That could mean plenty, but before anyone could dwell on it, a shout came from above.
“There you are!”
“They cleared the door!”
People from the audience who’d gone first were now running down from the second floor.
“Are they all here?!”
“Yeah!”
The rest of TeSTAR spotted us and cheered as they ran over.
“You! Talk first next time!”
Welcome back, right? Cha Yoo jin was the first to reach us yelling.
“Hyungs, we’re here! Everyone Oka... Who the hell was that?!”
“I found the person you were looking for, remember?”
“Oh–”
He drew out a long “Oh” then nodded at Geon woo’s limp face.
“Give him to me! I’ll carry him.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Geon woo passed between hands like a restaurant bill until Cha Yoo jin had him strapped to his back.
“Let’s go!”
Joo Dan and Cheongryeo were surprised too, but we all moved under the unspoken rule: get down first.
“Now we can leave, right?”
“Yes.”
We’d done everything we could. Tension eased just before escape.
Cheongryeo muttered.
“Well. One of two things will happen: either the disaster ends, or...”
He was still calculating?
“Either junior’s chance ends.”
“.......”
A breath.
“What does that mean?”
“Park Mundae?”
I stayed silent. Cheongryeo finished.
“The building completely collapses.”
Then—
thud.
thud-thud!
“...!”
“A tremor?”
“Hyung, could it be distorted time again...?”
“No.”
I checked the popup.
[00:09:59]
Plenty of time remained.
“There’s time left, definitely.”
Bae Sejin muttered, pale.
“Doesn’t earlier collapse symptoms mean a bigger collapse?”
“.......”
Brief silence.
Cheongryeo spoke again.
“Hm. So it was the latter.”
Now was not the time for that.
“Run if you know!”
I started sprinting with the others.
crash!
“Ahhh!”
A scream echoed from below.
I shouted.
“Kee! Kee where are you?”
“I gave them to the person in front! Both of them!”
Ryu Cheong woo wasn’t lying. So people should’ve been escaping already...
Why were they clustered?
We reached the basement corridor packed with dozens of people.
creak, crash!
“Uhhhhh!”
Each time a roar came from above, people shielded heads with glow sticks or hands.
What the hell.
“Excuse me!”
I pushed through the crowd. A person standing by a locked steel door labeled “Facility Security” yelled as soon as our eyes met.
“This door won’t open!”
“.......”
What?
I smashed through to the front, snatched the card key from someone’s hand, swiped it myself.
beep!
[Unauthorized card.]
Denied.
“Fuck.”
I tried another.
beep!
And another.
beep!
“.......”
“No way.”
“Wh– why won’t it work??”
Amid panicked hyperventilation, I racked my brain.
There had to be a reason.
‘Unauthorized authority?’
I examined the keypad and door. Then I read the plaque.
[Facility Security]
“.......”
Ah, damn it.
“Mundae?!”
“Wait!”
I nearly shouted, pushing through the crowd.
“What are you doing?!”
“Need the security team’s card!!”
I yelled.
“We brought office staff cards. We need the security team’s badge!”
“...!”
No wonder it wouldn’t open.
I gritted my teeth.
‘Maybe someone got left behind?’
If we searched the next room... damn it. But Joo Dan didn’t find it.
Still worth a shot. I told everyone to spread out and search in unison.
Then—
“Junior.”
Thunk.
A gold-logoed plastic badge swung before me. Cheongryeo had just pulled it from his jacket.
“Here.”
“.......”
[Seton Security]
“It was in the CCTV drawer.”
I snatched it and raced forward.
And swiped.
click!
A short, crisp major chord sounded.
clack.
“It opened!”
Cheers, screams, and hurried steps mixed with cracking sounds as people poured through the open door. The outside air hit my face.
“Ha.”
I pressed a hand to my face.
That was close.
No wonder he hadn’t escaped—he’d been holding out knowing this was the only way.
“You didn’t share it to guard against betrayal, did you?”
“No. You were right beside me when I disabled CCTV security.”
“.......”
Could Joo Dan really not recognize it as a badge?
Anyway, it was open now.
I held the door, letting people stream out in order as if commanding them.
[00:06:16]
Time was fine.
“Everyone, get out quickly!”
“We will.”
Fans exiting called words back to me, and I nodded.
“You all out?”
“Let’s go!”
Some responsible folks hung back, and I held the door open for them as if urging them to go first.
Their eyes narrowed.
“You’re not planning to...?”
“I said no.”
Who’d willingly stay in a collapsing building?
rat-tat, thud!
Another heavy crack came from above. I spoke sharply.
“I want to be the last out, you see. Get out now! The longer we wait, the later we’ll be.”
“.......”
But Seon Ah hyun took a deep breath and stopped.
“Or—if we don’t all go at once, I won’t go.”
Damn.
I’d wanted to keep some distance in case another crazy event happened.
I glanced at Cheongryeo, but he just stared back.
Not only Seon Ah hyun, but others held the door and watched me. A stare-down?
This was maddening.
Five minutes left, you maniacs.
“.......”
I looked between the crowd and the outside, sighed, and spoke.
‘They’ll have to make the move eventually.’
“Fine. Let’s go together.”
“...!! Okay!”
I pushed Seon Ah hyun’s back and stepped outside.
At that moment—
Outdoor air flooded in.
The cool early-autumn breeze.
We emerged into a dark courtyard behind container walls, but once we rounded the corner, sunlight poured down.
“...!”
It was sunset.
The anxiety, tension, and cold dread of survival instincts vanished instantly.
All of it drained away, leaving only calm.
“Ah.......”
I took a deep breath in, then out. My head cleared.
And just in time, the popup changed.
[00:04:47]
[00:04:47]
[Target Lost]
[Released]
A sense of security returned.
I turned to look at the building we’d come from.
The roaring collapse was gone.
Unconsciously, I said,
“...It’s over.”
“Huh?”
“It seems over. The collapse.”
The others turned to the building too, then exhaled long sighs or finally let out small laughs.
It never felt so refreshing.
Our bodies were heavy, but the mood was friendly and hopeful.
“Whew.”
“You all did great.”
“I’m just glad everyone made it out safely....”
“Still, we should keep moving. If it collapses again, we could get caught.”
“You’re right.”
At Keun Sejin’s words, everyone hurried their steps—and kept talking.
“Where could this be?”
“I think it’s a hidden rear exit no one outside knows.”
“Oh, then the front must be swamped with media.”
That... wasn’t certain.
‘What a perfect setup.’
Maybe rescue teams were delayed because the press had already claimed the spot.
Anyway, since my exit seemed to have stopped the collapse... even if anyone remained trapped above the third floor, they’d be rescued soon.
Everyone the media wanted was out.
“Recovery... hmm.”
A first-tier idol charity show with first-tier idols trapped and then freed?
Hell of a story.
“Don’t think about PR, Mundae; let’s go to the hospital.”
“.......”
I could pass for someone who ignored modern medicine.
“...Yeah. Anyway, the front is that way, so if we head back....”
“Right.”
We trudged out, looking worse for wear, walking along a weed-grown back path to the front.
‘I can hear screams building...’
But—
“Why is nobody here?”
There was nothing in front of the building.
“...??”
No pedestrians, sirens, reporters, or onlookers.
Only silence flowed.
Not a single car on the road.
What the hell.
“Wait. ...What about the fans who came out?”
“...!!”
Bae Sejin called frantically.
“Even without media, they should be here!”
But the sunset-lit front remained empty.
Like everyone had left through somewhere else.
“Oh, that’s it.”
I turned around.
Cheongryeo looked down at his jacket with a strange expression.
Where his smartphone should be.
“I thought it was weird we got no calls.”
“...!”
Right.
If the building had collapsed, people trapped inside would have their phones ringing nonstop.
Yet he’d received nothing.
He’d been cut off from the outside.
Then—
“Uhh!”
“Hup!”
Geon woo, carried on Cha Yoo jin’s back, opened his eyes and shouted.
“I... I won!”
“...??”
A new popup appeared.
[Mission Failed Scenario Complete]
Victory: Player Park Mundae (Ryu Geon woo)
Reward: Fragment of ■■■ (1/4)
